Primer for the Real World? The Life by oddhatter |  |
A REALLY MESSY DESK - In my
last article, I discussed the similarities between social interactions
between Neopets players and those in the real world. There is still however,
the rest of Neopia, or rather, the actual, not so physical world that you "live"
in. This "pre-programmed" side of Neopets is a fairly accurate, though greatly
simplified, mirror of the real world.
Neopia is not, and will probably never be the ideal cheery, happy, bubblegum-lollipop
place. Even putting human fault and fallibility aside(such as scammers and other
annoying people), Neopia was not programmed to be a trouble-free world.
For instance, there's always the chance of crossing paths with the Pant Devil,
Grundo Commander and Starsky, all of which has taught most Neopians with common
sense not to leave that precious item of Battledome carnage lying around in
their inventory. And there's the ghosts which generally steal a paltry sum of
money, but enough to be an annoyance. Presumably it goes to poorer Neopians
staking out the Money Tree,
but I also presume you wouldn't like it if the Salvation Army's Santa Claus
regularly reached into your pockets for a dollar or two. Still, all this is
not unlike losing random things from your locker, desk or cubicle. I don't see
the Grundo Commander's tendency to relieve me of my Lime Elixirs any differently
than my innate tendency to misplace my #2 pencils(in case you're wondering,
I go through a couple boxes a month).
And who can ignore the nasty ailments often contracted from the Wheel
of Excitement, a rotten piece of food or just that annoying random event?
Sneezles, Itchy Scratchies, whatever unpleasant disease of the moment it may
be. Name it - they have it. My pet Ally_2002_, for instance, has developed a
remarkable affinity for the Itchy Scratchy virus. Fortunately, pets don't die,
but it is often heartbreaking to see one's pet shivering or in crutches or whatever
"sick" image has been assigned to your pet. I wouldn't be surprised if our lovely
new Medieval World brings on some variant of the Black Plague (The Charming-Shade-Of-Green
Plague, perhaps?) as well. Not pleasant, but hey, who's to argue with history.
Needless to say, cures also don't always come cheap. They range from a few hundred
NP for a Neezles Jab to tens of thousands for some Magic Goop(for an Achy Head)
and even the unbuyable Sporkle Syrup for the dreaded Ugga-Ugga. Of course, there's
always the kind Healing Faerie in Faerieland, though it might take days before
she deigns to heal your pet.
Don't be bitter though, because dealing with medical problems(and insurance)
in real life is merely a more complicated version of all this. Some guilds offer
a "guild pharmacy" for active members. There's medical benefits/company sponsored
insurance right there. The Water Faerie at the Healing
Springs? Government medical assistance - definitely available, but good
luck getting it=). But most importantly, if you feel any sort of pain and worry
when you look at your sick pet, you're looking at every concerned parent looking
at their colicky, diaper-rashed baby. The emotions that you go though while
caring for your pet, assuming that you're not emotionless, are a small scale
version of the very real, very problematic emotions cycled though in the wonderful
world of real life. But then, you probably didn't need me to tell you that.
Even Neopian "parenting" reflects on some aspects of parenting in the real
world. Of course, this article is being written by a childless 19 year old,
so I'd appreciate it if the parents of Neopia forgive me for any gross mis-generalisations.
For many, the Neolodge serves as a day care centre. I put my pets in there during
finals and any other busy period of my life. Not to say that I don't love them
and all, but sometimes, I prefer to put them in competent and caring hands for
a short period of time. I like to believe that most Neopians love their pets
and are good parents. These Neopians play with their pets regularly, treat them
to the occasional gourmet food, and overall, have a healthy relationship with
their beloved pet. It would be nice if all parents in the real world were as
such.
But just as in real life, there are bad parents. These are the people who ignore
their pets, never playing with them and neglecting to feed them (not even omelette!).
They have other priorities perhaps, like hoarding Neopoints. That's abuse, and
I can assure you that it's not dissimilar to many of the things seen in your
daily newspaper. Worse still, there are those that consistently abandon their
pets, only to adopt the new pet-fad of the moment. And there are those people
who profess to love their pets so much that they maintain multiple accounts,
all chockfull of pets. Unfortunately, they can't support them all. Overpopulation
problem, maybe?
Of course, I also know people who have the four maximum accounts allowed by
Neopets, all of which are filled with pets that are loved and cared for. Indeed,
most of the pros and cons of Neopian life are based on human nature, whether
the innate sense of caring or the all too fallible side. |
